F1 pre-season testing will be televised

Joas van Wingerden

Monday 21 January 2019 13:33

UK-based Formula 1 fans will have the opportunity to watch pre-season testing live ahead of the 2019 season after Sky Sports confirmed the action from Barcelona will be aired. Sky will air four hours of testing live per day for the first test event.

Sky previously broadcast pre-season action in 2013 when they first secured live rights, but have not done so since.

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However, a growing clamour to watch testing is evident, with F1 also set to broadcast pre-season action on its F1 TV Pro streaming service.

New cars are often revealed at pre-season testing, while Liberty Media's commitment to social media exposure saw much of pre-season's highlights shared across F1's channels last year.

Sky will air the final four hours of on-track action each day, before committing a further hour to recap the day's action.

The announcement made no mention of coverage for the second pre-season test. It is likely that a decision over covering test two will be made after judging the viewing figures from test one.

Sky holds exclusive rights to air F1 coverage until 2024, with only the British GP to be shown on free-to-air television next year – a move that could wipe huge numbers off the UK viewership.

The first pre-season test takes place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from February 18-21, with the second event to be held from February 26-March 1.

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